Cancelling or changing an appointment

Last updated: October 2026

The policy

Specialist appointments are in short supply and many patients are waiting. If you cannot keep your appointment, you must call the clinic at least 48 hours (two full days) before your scheduled time so that the appointment can be offered to another patient.

If you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, or do not attend, a $250 fee will be charged. This fee is not covered by OHIP and is payable before another appointment is booked.

Examples

• Appointment on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. — call by Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to avoid the fee.
• Appointment on Monday — call by the Saturday before at the same time. Voicemail left on the weekend counts; the time stamp of your message is used.
• Arriving more than 15 minutes late may mean the visit cannot go ahead and is treated as a missed appointment.

How to cancel

• Phone xxx-xxx-xxxx. If the clinic is closed, leave a voicemail with your name, date of birth, appointment date, and a call-back number.
• Email is not used for cancellations because it is not monitored every day.
• Reception will offer you a new appointment if one is needed.

Exceptions

The fee may be waived for a sudden illness, a hospital admission, a death in the family, or severe weather that closes roads. Please call as soon as you are able and let reception know what happened.

Why we have this policy

A missed specialist appointment cannot be filled at short notice, and another patient waits longer as a result. The fee is permitted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s Uninsured Services policy, and this page serves as advance notice of the charge to all patients.

Questions

Call reception at xxx-xxx-xxxx or see the appointments policy.